I hope you are well. As you know, I'm still interviewing people to use as characters in my new play centered around the Crown Heights Riots. Today, I interviewed a man named Michael S. Miller. He's the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. We went to his office on Lexington. It was incredibly hot in his office. He apologized for the air conditioner being broken, saying that it would hopefully be fixed in the coming weeks. An incredibly well-spoken man, Mr. Miller was wearing the usual attire of a hard-working man. He had on a plain suit with a blue shirt and a striped tie. But I must stress how tired he looked. He looked like a man who hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. Thankfully, he took the time out of his busy schedule to speak to me about the funeral of Gavin Cato put on by the Lubavitcher community. He told me that he was there, and that he and the Lubavitcher community had done everything they could to express their condolences over young Gavin's death. You could hear the fatigue in his voice. I can't stress to you how tired he seemed to be. However, he did seem sincere over when speaking of his death. The tone stayed like this until about a quarter of the way through the interview. Almost with what seemed to be renewed vigor, Mr. Miller spoke of how the Jewish community had not received one note or condolence over the death of Yankele Rosenbaum.
This seemed to have lit a considerable fire under Mr. Miller, because he then began to raise his voice and yell. His eyes grew wide and large. He repeated the cries that he had heard from blacks. "Kill the Jews. Heil Hitler". With each insult, he moved in closer to me. I almost felt as if he was going to attack me. All the tiredness and fatigue that he had to begin the interview was gone. I wouldn't say he was completely angry but in utter disbelief. He kept reiterating "from blacks?". He seemed shocked that those from a fellow marginalized community could say those types of things. And then he said something I will never forget. He said that he would be damned if the safety of Jews would be in question because of so-called "preferential treatment". I must say that this shocked me. When we talk about racial inequality, we usual list blacks and whites. However, there haven't been many races in human history who've endured as much pain and suffering as the Jews. As an educated man, he seemed extremely offended by this idea of Jews receiving preferential treatment compared to blacks. In his eyes and in his voice, he believed we were two peas in the same pod, which is why the insults seemed to hurt him so much. He then, surprisingly, criticized the Lubavitcher community for their lack of response of Rosenbaum's death. He seemed incredibly annoyed and frustrated. After the interview, he returned to that tired smile and greeted us safe travels on our way out.
Although we interviewed him in his office, I think I may have him outside standing up. I think it might be beneficial to see his tiredness in full display. He'll be hunched over a little by the weight of it all. He'll be well dressed, but I may give him an older appearance by hitching up his pants and lowering his tie past the belt. But he'll still have that passion.
I hope you are well. As you know, I'm still interviewing people to use as characters in my new play centered around the Crown Heights Riots. Today, I interviewed a man named Michael S. Miller. He's the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York. We went to his office on Lexington. It was incredibly hot in his office. He apologized for the air conditioner being broken, saying that it would hopefully be fixed in the coming weeks. An incredibly well-spoken man, Mr. Miller was wearing the usual attire of a hard-working man. He had on a plain suit with a blue shirt and a striped tie. But I must stress how tired he looked. He looked like a man who hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks. Thankfully, he took the time out of his busy schedule to speak to me about the funeral of Gavin Cato put on by the Lubavitcher community. He told me that he was there, and that he and the Lubavitcher community had done everything they could to express their condolences over young Gavin's death. You could hear the fatigue in his voice. I can't stress to you how tired he seemed to be. However, he did seem sincere over when speaking of his death. The tone stayed like this until about a quarter of the way through the interview. Almost with what seemed to be renewed vigor, Mr. Miller spoke of how the Jewish community had not received one note or condolence over the death of Yankele Rosenbaum.
This seemed to have lit a considerable fire under Mr. Miller, because he then began to raise his voice and yell. His eyes grew wide and large. He repeated the cries that he had heard from blacks. "Kill the Jews. Heil Hitler". With each insult, he moved in closer to me. I almost felt as if he was going to attack me. All the tiredness and fatigue that he had to begin the interview was gone. I wouldn't say he was completely angry but in utter disbelief. He kept reiterating "from blacks?". He seemed shocked that those from a fellow marginalized community could say those types of things. And then he said something I will never forget. He said that he would be damned if the safety of Jews would be in question because of so-called "preferential treatment". I must say that this shocked me. When we talk about racial inequality, we usual list blacks and whites. However, there haven't been many races in human history who've endured as much pain and suffering as the Jews. As an educated man, he seemed extremely offended by this idea of Jews receiving preferential treatment compared to blacks. In his eyes and in his voice, he believed we were two peas in the same pod, which is why the insults seemed to hurt him so much. He then, surprisingly, criticized the Lubavitcher community for their lack of response of Rosenbaum's death. He seemed incredibly annoyed and frustrated. After the interview, he returned to that tired smile and greeted us safe travels on our way out.
Although we interviewed him in his office, I think I may have him outside standing up. I think it might be beneficial to see his tiredness in full display. He'll be hunched over a little by the weight of it all. He'll be well dressed, but I may give him an older appearance by hitching up his pants and lowering his tie past the belt. But he'll still have that passion.
Best,
Anna
(Rocco Misite)